why do i care so much about this stupid PS2 TRPG - Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- Nuanced explorations of apathy, religion, environmentalism, capitalist systems of control… am I talking about some classic literature? No… I’m talking about a stupid PS2 TRPG called Stella Deus of course (I mean the title of the video kinda gave that away didn’t it). This is one of my favorite games not only to play, but also in terms of thinking about the themes of it’s story, so why is the modern reception to this game pretty lukewarm or straight up negative? Well… um… give me nearly 40 minutes of your time and you may find out lol.
Let me know your thoughts on the game in the comments and let me know of any other games you might be fun to cover in a video, I really appreciate all the support for the channel and I hope you all have a slammin day!
All music not from video games is by me :) • yoppi - tobio [full al...
0:00 Intro
1:53 Development History
6:12 Gameplay
19:45 Story
34:52 Outro
35:43 BONUS
Resources:
Famitsu article interviewing the director: www.famitsu.com/game/news/200...
1UP.com preview for Stella Deus:
web.archive.org/web/201603050...
Famitsu Article about one of the Stella Deus mobile games:
web.archive.org/web/200706220...
Why Planting Trees Isn’t Enough to Stop Climate Change:
www.sciencenews.org/article/p....
Understanding capitalism: Crises and passive revolutions:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
Hate In God’s Name:
www.splcenter.org/20170925/ha... - Ігри
Short answer: because it's a beautiful, soulful, and highly underrated gem.
You are right. It's a very good trpg. I love it.
I can't believe I missed this back in the day. I love the graphics, everything looks fantastic. A lot of the gameplay structure reminds me of Disgaea, I'm guessing they got to use that engine for this.
Man, can't believe I found someone talking about this game! I just started replaying this and wondered if someone did a cool vid about it, turns out yes! And a super well-edited one at that!
I always come back to Stella Deus because of the OST and Rearrange OST.
earth activity off the rearrange ost is my shiiiiiiit
I've played A LOT Hoshigami, when I found Stella my mind blowed.
Another huge fan here, Ur videos are great btw!
I want to play this to meet Lord Dingus
Wow, thank you for this video! This game is easily on my top 5 and never heard anyone talking about it with the respect it deserves.
Greatings from Brazil!
STELLA DEUS FAN CLUB!! lol this game is seriously underrated :) love to hear from other fans
Love this game! The music has lived in my head for many years, especially the world map theme. SD has such a unique atmosphere and art style unlike any SRPG I've played. I remember buying the last new copy for cheap, it was literally the last copy they had in all their stores. It was a good car drive away. Such nostalgia. Also, can't believe Xplay reviewed this?! Totally missed it. Those were awesome times! Great video btw! Thanks for creating it!
Thanks for the video. Sugi is almost positively Japanese cedar. People say they hate it because there is a season (usually around March) when the Sugi pollen from Japanese cedar trees causes major allergy (hay fever) problems for people. So check the timing, it's very likely a complaint about pollen.
holy shid! never thought id have an answer to that. thank you so much haha
I subbed, i don't really get trpgs, but i love the art style and the story sounds really interesting. Great work, thanks!
I'm here cause Metaphor Re Fantazio was shown and the rabbit hole lead me here
Great game! Good to see some love on youtube.
Fantastic video! Will definitely check this game out!
wow that x-play clip..............................................................................
Thanks for introducing me to a cool world I never heard of!
Really thorough and thoughtful write-up! I mean, I'll never forgive you for subjecting me to that X-Play clip, which is an actual war crime, but otherwise, excellent stuff. Your observation about grinding applies to just about every TRPG and JRPG I can think of; when you Cookie Clicker grind your numbers to the maximum, you miss out on the unique texture of the battle systems. And you did a great job explaining how players who never tried Hoshigami could get into a trap where they think the game is telling them to grind.
When I play this, I plan to play the Undub mod. Basically, I do that with any PS2 era game with localized voice acting; Baten Kaitos with English voice acting is downright unplayable, for instance, whereas with an Undub mod and the original Japanese voice acting intact, it's a goddamn treasure. Just like the ability to nudge speed up, the option to play with Japanese audio restored is a big reason why I favor emulation.
omg, this game looks amazing. like literally, the artstyle is so gorgeous and timeless. I love trpg's (dofus, disgaea, jeanne d'arc, fire emblem, advanced wars etc.). Guess I finally have a reason to jailbreak my old ps3 now... poor thing burned through it's blueraydrive twice... now it's gonna have to play for another 50 hours or so...
Your editing was great. Hit the sub 👍
I finally gave in and bought this. Been eyeing it for the last few years! It’s up there with the none 3d Growlanser games in terms of how much I like the look.
Of course it will never happen, but if this gem was released on pc, I'd definitely pre-order it. One of my favorite games of all time!!
Thanks for the in-depth video
if this ever gets any kind of re-release im buying 5 copies
Great to see so much love put out towards such an underrated gem. Now how to go about a re-release for modern consoles??
Metaphor looks so great. I came here to see the artist and I am even more excited now
2024... not forgotten. Thanks for the flashback... back to the garage. I already dug up pso lol time to find more gold.
Okay, you've convinced me on trying this game out, I got sold on your passion. I've always been interested in it, but seeing how many people bad mouthed Stella Deus when asking for recommendations made me question if it was truly worth being given a chance. I'll get started on it today.
your videos are amazing. thank you man, and keep up the motivation.
u make some of the best vids on this website i see doing really well this year, cant wait all to play all ur game recs this year also, great video
omg thanks so much :)
Just bought the game today on the PS3 marketplace.
😃👍
So, I literally just bought this game before watching the video (I got the game for like $15 because of unused rewards at the local Retro Game shop), I’m genuinely interested in this game now. I initially got it because I collect Atlus games (I hate money 🤦🏻♂️) and I knew the art was done by Soejima, but now it’s on the list of “obscure atlus TRPGS I need to play” along with Kartia: The Word Of Fate.
Great video! Lil late to the party but I’m glad I got the game now, I’m very much looking forward to it. Now to get my PS2 fixed.. 🙃
love your videos and i’d never heard of this one decided to give this a spin based on the strength of your recommendation alone. i’m about 15 hours in and loving it! i see the vision!! i think i might even like the battle system more than Tactics Ogre and FFT! i also think it’s worth noting that one of the longer reddit posts bashing the game you used was posted by u/pedoretardando 😳 safe to say that guy is probably dead wrong about a lot of stuff! love the videos, can’t wait to see what you do next!
I really appreciate you taking the time to give justice to this game.
I respect your dedication into making this long video and its very telling how you explain things that you really adore this game.
I played this a couple years back but it just did not click for me. I would argue that the pixel art, art style and presentation as a whole is absolutely immaculate but what takes me off from truly having a great experience is how the game poorly explains itself gameplay wise, the clunky Quest system, UI and the weapon fushion that doesn't give you like a lexicon of all the fushions you have/can create.
I also want to add a similar Atlus TRPG with heavy influences of SMT and Persona being Eternal Poison. Now with that game I really had a wonderful time plus the gothic and visual novel style-esque of story telling, voice acting and plot were way more digestable compared to SD and it truly gave me more of a polished experience. Hope you give it a try!
I love your style especially when you connect the themes in the game to our (often) sad reality.
I played it on the PS2 long time ago. I remember that I grind a little and that I didn't unlock any secret character :( My main complaint is that the enemies stay in their positions until you come closer, for most of time. This allows you to take them one by one. It would be better if the enemy coordinate their attacks, so you must have to think more about positioning. This is the same way that Shining Force I and II behaved. Said that, the characters and environment blew my mind at the time.
i super agree that the enemy ai is a little too friendly. in the beginning i think this is totally okay because health and magic are a finite resource, and the fights are hard, so it feels like youre just being smart by abusing the enemy ai. however once you unlock the mp and hp restore zone skils it becomes a bit to easy to not take any risks cuz you can stand in place and heal for free while enemies paintiently wait
Thanks for these info,as a fan of old day hoshigami, this game will be my next choice
13:33
damn that's what I call a taking one for the team attack.
Just found this video now good to see more people talking about stella deus :D
This vid needs more views
Keep at it you will be successful
I’ve been a fan of this game but I’ve always never had anyone to talk to about it
well feel free to share your thoughts here :)
You know I just finished my first playthrough of this game. It found its way onto my PS3 due to years of me nabbing PS1/PS2 games off of digital flash sales. It's definitely not my cup of tea, but worth the 1 or 2 dollars I put into it. Man do I wish I had an emulator's speed up feature though.
When I discovered that most of the game's stats didn't matter nearly as much as levels, you bet I started to grind. A lot of Atlus mid 2000s RPGs have the same level scaling system so I wasn't about to be trolled again. Thankfully the latter half of the game doesn't have massive jumps in levels with boss fights, so there's far less need to grind. And you can eventually teach your units the status immunities by forging them (thanks, GameFAQS). I don't fault a single person for giving up in the first ten hours because the game mechanics can be so polarizing. You are correct in that hitting a higher leveled enemy does grant you a bunch of exp, but simply surviving their 2X damage attacks while also winning the coin flips of the 30% hit rate and not getting hit by a status ailment feels so futile in practice. Not to mention the enemies spontaneously ganging up on Spero with skills and Team Attacks to force you into an early game over. The player can't do anything to prevent that beyond keeping Spero completely out of the fight.
The game does have its moments though. For instance instead of moving to a target and attacking with the rest of your AP, I liked spending only enough AP to get in their face, getting my next turn before they do, and then having the full 100 AP to wail on them. I also love the flanking mechanic where your hit and crit rate is higher on an opponent facing away from you. And that Team Attacks are guaranteed to work (I just don't like enemies using them on me from across the map). However, I won't be joining you in the Stella Deus Fan Club. I will at least show up to that first meeting before bailing and am never seen again.
totally valid critiques of the game, and thanks for the write up :) lol ill see you at that first meeting
Anamanaguchi used dialog from it in the Up To You music video and I've been curious about its origins for years.
Finally found the name of this game.
good vid my friend
Hi, i'm 2 years later, but i'm somehow one of the few fans this game has.
Also, making good use of the alchemy system really helps it not be too grindy, my main complaint would be that the most well designed and unique levels you only play on once maybe twice. A map replay section like that found in FM4 would have been really welcome. Good vid.
I've only found out that this game existed like a year ago and man, the pixel art is just out of this world. It's the only game I'd put anywhere near BoFIV in that regard. I'm still to play it but I'm excited to once it's its turn on my backlog.
Just played in 2023, and it was surprisingly addictive gameplay. World needs saving generic story, but everything else seemed well executed and the game didn't feel cheap at any point. The catacombs was a great feature adding tons of depth for charcter levels. Better experienced with the music off and a custom soundtrack for long extended plays. 7/10
This video made me want to play Stella Deus, always had it stored somewhere on my mind but I somehow missed an incentive to try it out, and this did it for me :D
The style looks stunning and very unique, indeed...and I love the Shin Megami Tensei games.
Final fantasy tactics A2 leaves rent-free in my head and I don't really know why
As much as I like disgaea, original FFT and tactics ogre, I get the urge to just replay A2 sometimes
23:23 I’d say that Christianity teaches us to be responsible and be an ambassador.
In fact Christians dedicate more time and money towards causes than most people on average.
In fact, I don’t think there are many religions that teach apathy. I think satanism teaches live and let live, but satanists don’t really believe in a higher power so i hesitate to call them religious.
I think that there are some religions that don’t foster a sympathetic attitude, but I don’t think those are super prevalent. Like off shoots of other religions.
I just don’t think the theme is super relate to in the western world. The religious landscape is vastly different in Japan though so Maybe it hits home over there.
I’d say as a general rule, if a religion rejects hierarchy and puts all life on the same level than its fosters apathy.
Maybe I’m wrong, I just feel like hierarchy is something Innate and natural and rejecting it, putting everything on the same level, usually doesn’t lead anywhere good.
I don’t know. I might need to think through this a bit more to substantiate it rationally.
Okay. It’s not about how meaningful or important a life is. Adopting a subservient attitude is good. It can be bad depending on the leadership, but there’s always a hierarchy of authority and if everyone rejects authority and is always seeking to undo any shackle without any analysis of morality or the like, any system is doomed to fail.
People are always reliant on others and hierarchy is natural in any relationship. So the question is; is the system flawed and in need of change or complete upending, or are you just lashing out because you can’t stand being under someone’s authority.
I don’t know. I’m kind of getting a bit abstract there. Sorry, I tend to rant.
Anyway, awesome video. I’m definitely going to check out this game.
i really appreciate the thoughts. I don't agree on many points, but you bring up interesting questions
i love this video so much like wtf thanks for this one
really appreciate the kind words, this vid took a lotta work :)
How do you do 1.25 speed in PCSX2?. Thank you.
Wow, this actually looks really cool, im loving the aesthethic and the world seems very interesting, might give this a try. It somewhat reminds me of Valkyria chronicles, but with a religious themes, maybe its just the gameplay but still, good connection to make as I love that series.
I got myself this game for christmas and after watching this i really want to play it.
Didnt even know the combos did that effect id always save them for the boss or toughest enemy and grinded in tower. Reallllly hated the the bs of the secret characters especially the best friend smh
yeah doing combos in every fight is crucial if you wanna not grind at all and only do story fights. makes the game super fun imo cuz you have to really try and get 6 person combos a lot which is tough to pull off a lot of the time.
...yeah the secret characters are total horseradish lol
well, I'm convinced, and subscribed
Lol! I remembered playing this game, but I don't think I ever finished it because it was slow. I enjoyed it, but because of that it took a long time. Honestly I don't know how I even played FF tactics advance for 300 hours. I gues as you get older the less patience you have.
playin on emulator with speedup is the wave
Oh shit, I actually did play Hoshigami. I kept seeing this game at the bootleg store but passed over it
Cool video. Personally, I couldn't get into this game at all. I'm not really a fan of Tactical RPGS (with the exception of some of the Fire Emblem games). However, I do appreciate your video and your analysis.
Best commendation I can give is I have to stop 4 min in to go play the game. Hooked enough to fear any spoilers now lol.
Did you play it?
Here I am again 1 year later view again 😂
Oh if you played on emulator there actually is a way to play with the Japanese voices. There's an undub ROM available, and while switching between the ROMs will mess up your save states, your actual save files stored on virtual memory cards are compatible with both!
I went and played the game before finishing this video and I've been having a good time swapping between the two audio version for comparison. The English dub is...extremely bad lol
i think i tried that undub patch one time, but i couldnt get it to work. next playthrough ill give it another go though, thanks for letting me know!
Yeah idk what possible troubleshooting problems there might be, PS2 emulation is still fairly complex, but for what it's worth the ISO I found was from CD Romance
8:29 Disgaea is my favorite game series and I’ve never been able to get into another trpg because they’re all too slow.
I wish i could play stella deus on my ps4.
The art is really great.
I've been a member of the fan-club since 2009, and no, I'm not a tumbleweed. 😆
the best thing I really loved about the gameplay was the direct control mode for battles and it made them faster and really fun imo. I really do wish this game does get rereleased but I highly doubt it will sadly. A really great and well edited video btw!
Haha ah man the nostalgia kicked into overdrive for me. Yeah I got this game on a whim bcz I was a atlus fanboy, still are. Played persona 3 that's when it all started picked up Stella deus just bcz. Don't regret it. Still have the game too. I wish I had the 1.5x speed though. I'm jealous
Stella Deus was a fun game. I really enjoyed it, though many of the criticisms it receives are merited. The gameplay, while somewhat bland, is still serviceable. The story, themes, and world really are its best aspects. Very good stuff. It is nice to see that there are a fair number of people who appreciate it. Also, good to see someone who disregards Hoshigami. I never knew that it meant "star god" as well.
I do think this video treats many of the themes (such as religion, pacifism, existentialism, will to power, technological progress) and characters (such as Avis, Vizer, Dignus, Lumena) too dismissively and reductively.
One trivial criticism of the game I'd make is that it misunderstands what "Dies Irae" means. "Dies Irae" translates to "Day of Wrath," not "God of Wrath." They got "Deus" and "Dies" confused which is a bit goofy.
Man i love this game soo much
Literally never heard of this game until today. I may have to tap in
best tactical rpg and im not even biased at all
I agree on your point about the grind for most jrpg's. We should play less grindy and just think on strategies to defeat a boss. I believe the reason most of us end up grinding is because we die multiple times on a boss and waste hours retrying. So we feel like we're under leveled and go on the grind which also wastes a lot of time. SMT: Nocturne fixed that problem for me. Grinding is useless because your party members level up slowly in comparison to the fast increase in the enemies' stats as you progress, forcing you to fuse your party members to get stronger ones, or recruit new ones. As well as the press turn system that grants you extra turns if you exploit your enemies' weaknesses. So you have no choice but to get good at using your party. Nocturne has unfortunately ruined turn-based rpg's for me since that game is an increasing progression path with many bosses and no time wasted. It's hard for me to get into new turn based rpgs now a days. Other than that I've been debating to play this game and your video is a very good recommendation. I'm gonna try it.
Should be on Nintendo switch ASAP
yo i don't have the drama cd but id be willing to translate it if you have it (so you could read along oc, I can't dub it or anything)
thats really really nice of you! zomg, ill try and track it down in the comin days
bet just lmk!@@yoppimedia
here's the drama cd! ua-cam.com/video/BoikL2cP73M/v-deo.html
sick sick. Schedule is kinda busy rn but im hopping on it on and off starting next week!@@yoppimedia
bet! working on it will probably involve me replaying the game in Japanese so gimme a bit but Ill get it done asap!@@yoppimedia
melhor jogo ja feito
I will play it.
IF STELLA DEUS HAS NO FANS I HAVE DIED
fr thoguh i wanna watch this video but i don't wanna subconsciously lift anything you say. i'll return shortly. wait for me bb
this is a pretty good video on a game i really liked too but way too much fluff with the jokes and references for joke's sake. really bogs down what's otherwise a great analysis on an underappreciated game
I heard of this game from a website called Audio Atrocities, which talked about the very silly dub. I'd love to try it out at some point once I scrounge up a billion dollars in order to buy it.
The funny thing about the voice work is that a good portion of the VAs aren't even voice actors. One guy (Tom Hulett) was a writer, one woman (Elisa Fiorillo) was a singer (she did a song for MGS3, but not the one everyone memes.), another person (Jeff Morgan) went on to work for an internal Microsoft studio that helped develop an Xbox 360 emulator for the Xbox One(!?!?), and another person (Akibo Shieh) is the founder of Aksys Games.
Supposedly Roger Craig Smith voiced Viser, which would've been one of his first voice acting gigs alongside the anime Duel Masters, and the hilariously awful dub of Castle Shikigami 2..
yep.
share torrent Bv
I play this Game right now. Amazing ❤🤌